The Protector
by ZetaWriter20
Summary: This story is an idea that I am working on, and I plan to actually complete so it will take some time to do. Crossover of The Avenger and Persona. During the Battle of Sokovia, Pietro is a witness to a strange occurrence that protects him in the end. The heroes then have dreams of a masked man who grants them power.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: The Protector (Avengers + Persona Series)**

 ** _Zeta: I do not own any of this. Avengers belongs to Marvel and Persona belongs to Atlus. In any case, read and review._**

"Unbelievable." Is what Pietro would have said when he ran to take the hit from the bullets being fired by a hijacked Quinjet, only for none of them to hit nether him or the two people he was protecting, Clint Barton and a civilian young boy.

* * *

Earlier…

Pietro had just joined Tony Stark's merry band of heroes called the Avengers with his sister Wanda after finding out how Ultron, an AI created by Tony himself, deceived them with fake, empty promises of vengeance while his true agenda was to end all humanity. While he did feel guilty in that his sister and himself helped the megalomaniac to make progress in accomplishing this goal.

The band of heroes then ended up in Sokovia, his home that he fought to protect so hard along with his sister, which began to become a battleground. The Avengers began evacuating the civilians and protect them from Ultron's Sentry Robots, which began to push back the Avengers with their large numbers.

Yet for Pietro, something struck to him as peculiar. When he saved a group of children, he took one look at the mirror to see his reflection before the sentries broke in and he managed to escape with the kids. In his reflection before the chaos, his normally blue eyes that held a spark of confidence were instead an eerie shade of amber, staring into the depths of his very being. After the image, he shook his head and looked again to see his normal reflection.

It wasn't the only time he witnessed the strange occurrence during the Battle of Sokovia.

"Hey, Speedy! Get you're a** moving or they'll kill you!" Tony Stark, the last man he had ever thought of even working with, shouted at Pietro, who had stopped when he noticed the Pietro Copy in the metal of the Sentries. He managed to regain focus and smashed the minions of Ultron into scrap metal before meeting up with Wanda.

"Pietro, is something wrong? You seem distracted more than usual since we began fighting. What's going on?" Wanda, worried sick for her twin ever since she saw him stop several times before moving again to fight.

"I… I don't even know, sister. I saw myself in a mirror while saving some kids…" Pietro began when Wanda sighed and shook her head.

"Brother, this is not the time to admire yourself."

"No, no, that's not it. I was not admiring myself, but what was odd about it was the difference in the reflection and myself." Pietro explained.

Wanda raised an eyebrow at that, "Odd? How?"

"The reflection had golden eyes, but I have blue eyes."

Wanda was puzzled at the description. Pietro was right though about the one detail. He didn't have golden eyes, but rather the bright blue eyes that she had known since they were kids. Their parents would describe Pietro's eyes as the shiniest blue eyes they had ever laid eyes on. Even now, she could tell that he still had those same eyes.

"We'll find out later. For now, we have our home to save." Pietro nodded and the two returned to the fray and fought tooth and nail to destroy the robotic invaders.

It wasn't until Ultron hacked into a Quinjet and began killing innocents that he found out what the phenomenon was. Clint and Costal were in the line of fire and at the last second, he jumped in the line of fire, planning to take the bullet shots in an act of selflessness.

 _'_ _It is not your time… my other self…'_

Pietro's eyes widened at the hearing of the voice.

 _'_ _That voice… who are you?!'_

A subtle chuckle of amusement was heard in return.

 _'_ _In time… but when you need me… remember this…_ _ **Persona**_ _'_

The presence vanished after releasing the blast of wind, knocking out the Quinjet and the bullets away, saving his life and the lives of Clint and other civilians.

From that point onward, he made sure to keep an open mind clear.

* * *

The Avengers do succeed in evacuating everyone from the floating isle that was Novi Grad and destroyed it, the remains falling safely in a lake near the capital.

As they return to the Tower, Clint sits next to Pietro, who was still in deep thought. Clint noticed Pietro when he jumped in between himself and the rain of bullets when he was surrounded by some kind of blue fire and a figure in the shadows pointed what appeared to be a spear and soon unleashed a burst of wind, enough to protect them and knock the jet from the air.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Clint asked, trying to get the younger man to talk. Pietro remained silent for a while. Clint then laid back into his seat in the jet, trying to relax.

"Did you see it?"

Clint looked up to see the man of speed stare at him, waiting for an answer that he could clearly see he desperately wants.

"I…" Clint needed a moment to think to describe the memory before speaking, "I saw you surrounded in blue fire, and a shadow in the shape of a man riding a horse in wheels while holding a spear over you."

Pietro took it in before murmuring thanks to the only father-figure he had met and fought against. He knew the old man had some tough days and he seemed to be a family man.

And it was something he needed at the moment.

* * *

It was a floating feeling that had Pietro open his eyes to find himself heading towards a small light. Alongside him, was Clint and Wanda, and strangely enough a golden butterfly.

"Where are we headed to?" Clint asked, not liking the feeling of falling.

Before he could speak, the light took over their vision.

The trio had awakened to what appeared to be a large shrine in the middle of a psychedelic space that was mesmerizing to the naked eye. In the center of the ornate shrine was the emblem of a golden butterfly, with the same insect floating over the emblem.

A burst of light blinded them temporarily, and in the place of the insect, was a man radiating with a peaceful light and filled with mystery. The man's face was covered with a mask bearing a butterfly on one side, this time colored blue. He wore a white blazer and a black shirt underneath with black shoes and white pants. This man was strangely familiar to Pietro, yet he didn't recognize him from anywhere.

"Welcome. I've been expecting you to see me in my domain." The man spoke in a serene tone.

"Where are we? Why are we here?" Clint asked, trying to figure out the man.

"My name is Philemon, a dweller of the consciousness and the unconsciousness. You are here because of the soon-to-be events that will transform the world as you know it." The man- Philemon, Pietro remembered- explained.

"Are you a mutant?" Wanda asked next.

"No. I'm a being that exists within the depths of humanity's souls. I have brought you here to explain the situation that you will face soon. But first, a test. Can you state your names?"

"Clint Barton a.k.a. Hawkeye"

"Wanda Maximoff"

"Pietro Maximoff"

Philemon was satisfied, and gave them a subtle nod, "Very well, not many can state their names while in this realm. Now, on to other details. Are you aware of the other selves that lie within you?"

"Other selves? As in plural?" Clint asked, still not convinced that this is all real.

"People go on their lives wearing different masks. The self that is capable of showing kindness, and the self that is capable of showing malice." Philemon explained to the trio of superheroes.

"So… our 'other selves' are the variations of us?" Wanda concluded with a questioning tone, to which earned her a nod of acknowledgment.

"Indeed. But you three seem to have a good grasp of who you are. So… I will grant you this power, **Persona**. The power to be able to manifest the gods and demons you harbor within yourselves. As for your other powers, I am not sure how it will interact with you." Philemon then sent them a small light that entered their bodies.

"Now, you will need this power in the coming future. I cannot give you much detail other than that it will test the bonds you have with your friends and allies. Farewell, I will see you again soon."

Clint and the twins were then surrounded by light once more, the shrine vanishing from sight.

* * *

Pietro woke up in the jet carrier with the rest of the Avengers as they arrive at Avenger's Tower, the large A of the tower in plain view above the city in the early morning, but the rest of the tower was still slightly in disarray from Ultron's attacks. Mostly it was intact, only needing a sweeping on the floor and some cleaning.

As they landed, Pietro noticed from the corner of his eye, a fluttering blue butterfly with flecks of gold near Tony's shoulder.

"Huh, hey little guy. What are you doing here in? Giving us a nice welcome?" Tony then carried the small insect into the balcony and shifted it onto a small potted plant, the flowers in full bloom.

It was a strange event to see Tony, being soft-hearted as he was moments ago, for Pietro. Clint just gave a small smile before leaving to hang out in the lounge with the others. Wanda then grabbed his brother and began to chastise him before hugging him.

The butterfly then fluttered away before vanishing in a blue light, unknown to the band of superheroes.

* * *

Tony had an appreciation for nature from time to time, but he just felt compelled to carry the fluttering insect to the only flower pot he held in the entire tower. The white heather flowers were his mother's favorite, and he usually remembered her mentioning how flowers carried a meaning depending on the type and color. Protection was the meaning of the blooming white heather flowers, the morning dew weighing down the petals and leaves.

The rest of the Avengers took a break in the lounge before heading to their rooms to sleep. The Maximoff twins were placed in the guest rooms until he had their rooms ready. He was planning to head to the labs but later decided that he needed some sleep, which was something he really needed after the Ultron debacle and the hallucinations.

He went ahead and got undressed before getting on to bed dressed in some black pants with a red stripe on the sides and a black undershirt and entered the realm of the unconsciousness.

* * *

When Tony opened his eyes, he did not expect to see himself floating in a strange place towards a bright light. The light blinded him for a few moments before he saw that he ended up in a golden shrine with the symbol of a butterfly in the center. A man in a white suit stood there in the middle of the serene otherworldly shrine as if expecting him.

"Welcome, it's a pleasure to meet you." The man greeted him with a gentle tone.

"Where are we? Are you another Asgardian?" Tony was confused, but he felt like the man knew something about him. The realm resembled something that the Asgardians would have created.

"No, I am not an Asgardian. My name is Philemon, a being that exists between the human consciousness and unconsciousness. But before we continue, could you please tell me your name?" Philemon asked.

Tony was confused and did as he was asked, "Tony Stark. Now, could you tell me why I'm here?"

Philemon gave a subtle laugh, "Such an impatient one, yet you have a grasp of your identity as well. Not many people can remember their name while in the realm. As to why you are here, you are here to receive a gift that not many people have, and neither do the mutants have this as well."

Tony now became curious. A new power that rare could be useful to use without having to let Fury know.

"Tell me more." Tony requested. Philemon then summoned what appeared to be a small fairy, then what appeared to be…

"Wait… that's me?"

In front of Tony, stood an exact copy of the genius wearing a suit, but instead of his usual warm brown eyes, this copy had amber eyes.

"Within your own soul, there are many 'selves' that lie within you. The self that is suffused with divine love. The self that is capable of demonic cruelty. People go on about their lives wearing these masks, never knowing of their true selves." Philemon then gestured at Tony's shadow.

"The suppressed self is known as the Shadow. It is what you have deep within yourself that you reject or refuse to acknowledge." The shadow vanishes with the Pixie.

"The power that I will give you is called… **Persona**. It is the ability to call upon the many masks that you hold within you. The gods and demons you harbor deep within yourself. This will become of use to you in the soon-to-be-coming events that will test your relationships with others."

Tony frowned at that notion, but despite the man's explanation, it all seemed too surreal. But whenever he remembered the Avengers, he knew better and took it all with a grain of salt. The fact of an upcoming threat was almost of no surprise, except that it involved with the use of the Persona ability.

"So… when should I expect this to all happen? We should be ready for any threat, right?"

Philemon gave him a nod, "You do need to be ready, but I cannot tell you when. You will know when the time is right. Trust yourself and your abilities as well as the powers of your companions. The time will be right with the coming of a **contract**. Farewell."

Tony was puzzled when he mentioned 'contract' but before he could ask, he was enveloped in light once more and into the sleep he needed.

* * *

Months later…

Natasha Romanoff, Steve Rogers, Bruce Banner, and Sam Wilson were all getting settled in the New Avengers facility constructed by Tony. After the news spread of the Battle of Sokovia, the public had begun to see the Avengers in a negative light, but there were still those who stayed true to them and supported them through the mudslide.

Lately, the dreams of the Avengers, both old and new, are filled with terrors from the battle. Civilians being killed, cries of the living mourning for the dead, screams of children being mercilessly slaughtered by the Sentries.

Until they all received a dream, consisting of a man who predicts a dark future and the need of a new power. For them, it bodes not too well as they are busy with the U.N. trying to get the Avengers under their control, specifically Thaddeus Ross.

As they watch the news, currently presenting discussions on the team of superheroes being dragged in the mud as they slander them with no remorse, Natasha finally shuts off the TV screen before turning to them.

"Ok… question to throw at all of you." Everyone on the couch turns to look at her in confusion.

"What is it?" Steve, still tense after seeing the public reject the team and blaming them for their misfortune.

"Have you all had a dream of a man and something about this Persona power?"

The majority of the supers nodded with the exception of Vision. Bruce then stood up to get a Stark Tablet.

"I know because the Other Guy calls him Butterfly Man. I did some research on this 'Persona' and I found this." He handed the tablet to Steve, who began to read it.

"So… persona is more of a theory from some man named Carl Jung?" the blonde man asked the scientist.

"Yes, so persona is the idea of having a social role in the face of society. Our personalities change depending on the environment, thus the change in persona. In layman's terms, a mask of conformity." Bruce explained to the group, who were absorbing the information with some confusion.

"The Jungian theory mentions the Shadow or the dark parts of the individual. It is basically our instincts and primitive archetypes, or our suppressed personality. And the Self is the unity of the two." Bruce then changes the screen to show a picture of a sea of stars.

"Then there is the collective unconsciousness, the universal aspects of all humans, ranging from myths and legends to common logic and instincts. It is what all the people have in common unconsciously." Bruce finished the explanation of the theory.

"So that's why he said they are our own selves… our own gods and demons we harbor." Natasha muttered, with Steve grimacing slightly at 'demons' and 'harbor'. Everyone then agreed to not think about it as much and continued to focus on their training.

A butterfly fluttered in the room, gently landing over the tablet, which Bruce had turned off before leaving.

 **Zeta: So... what did you think? Tell me how should I improve and if the idea is good or not?**


	2. Ch 2: Hidden Agenda

**Note:**

 _ **Zeta: I tried to get their character. Never watched much of the Avengers enough, but I might have gotten some bits here and there. By the way, this is Part 1 of Chapter 2. The rest is still being written out.**_

 _ **Tony: Just start already!**_

 _ **Zeta: Whatever. Though thanks for reading this and I hope you enjoy this.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I own nothing of this; The Avengers belongs to Marvel and the Persona Series belongs to Atlus.**_

* * *

Chapter 2: Hidden Agenda

The Avengers had just completed a mission that ended in disaster. The attack on the IFID HQ in Lagos ended with Wanda sending the bomb activated by Crossbones to a building filled with innocent civilians. Pietro thankfully managed to get all of them before she sent the bomb that was soon to explode on contact, but the media still managed to get the public to see them as uncontrolled and volatile. Pietro, however, was majorly spared from the insults of the media, as the civilians were grateful for rescuing them, even trying to give him small gifts. But the media still tried to slander him unsuccessfully. The public, as a result, had backlashed against them and the media just presented Quicksilver as the hero of the day.

The supers had all gathered in the conference room in the new Avengers facility, with a stern, and secretly annoyed Tony, and the Secretary of State, Thaddeus Ross.

"Five years ago, I had a heart attack...and dropped right in the middle of my backswing. Turned out it was the best round of my life because, after thirteen hours of surgery and a triple bypass, I found something forty years in the Army had never taught me. Perspective" Ross then mimicked a golf swing before continuing his (awfully boring and uninteresting) monologue.

"The world owes the Avengers an unpayable debt. You have fought for us, protected us, risked your lives. But while a great many people see you as heroes, there are some who would prefer the word, vigilantes." Natasha narrowed her eyes at the insinuation and piped up.

"What word would you use, Mr. Secretary?" she asked, stressing out the 'you' in the question.

"How about "dangerous"? What would you call a group of U.S. based enhanced individuals who routinely ignore sovereign borders… "Steve frowned at his jab as he ripped the team apart into shreds.

"and inflict their will wherever they choose and who, frankly, seem unconcerned about what they leave behind." Ross then walked to the side and activated a projector screen displaying a world map.

"New York" the screen focused on the location, presenting a video from the Battle of New York against the invading Chitauri. The Hulk was moving around as the people fled in terror from the invaders and ended up with the Hulk sending rubble to the ground by complete accident on top of the person recording. Rhodes then turned to Rodgers, trying to see a reaction from him, only to find him glaring at Ross.

"Washington D.C," The video changed to the S.H.I.E.L.D. Hellicarrier crashing down into the waters, with the resulting waves crashing into the harbors and dragging people with it. Sam merely let his head down due to the guilt that was beginning to gather deep within his chest.

"Sokovia" The video changed to the city of Novi Grad and its citizens fleeing from the threat of the Ultron Sentries and flickered to the floating isle that was Ultron's meteor. Wanda and Pietro were angered at the Secretary and glared at him for his attempts of slander. The screen changed to the falling buildings that had deteriorated due to the ravages of war. Tony merely stared at Ross with disdain, his anger slowly trying to escape his hold on it.

"Lagos" The screen finally flickered to the recent disaster of a mission, the building in flames with the authorities trying to put it out. This made Wanda distressed, knowing that it was her fault for causing this accident.

"Ok, that's enough." Steve interrupted Ross' spiel on how _their_ team was deemed uncontrollable. He was putting a lid on his anger before something happened that would not make the U.N. happy.

The Secretary of State turned off the monitor before turning to the gathered team. "For the past four years, you operated with unlimited power and no supervision. That's an arrangement the governments of the world can no longer tolerate. But I think we have a solution" One of the assistants handed Ross a thick book with the name "Sokovia Accords".

"The Sokovia Accords. Approved by 117 countries, it states that the Avengers shall no longer be a private organization. Instead, they'll operate under the supervision of a United Nations panel only when and it deems it necessary." Ross explained as the team passed the book around and skimmed through it.

The Captain spoke up, "The Avengers were formed to make the world a safer place. I feel we've done that." Ross scoffed at the notion the Super Soldier made.

"Tell me, Captain, do you know where Thor and Banner are right now? If I misplaced a couple of 30 megaton nukes you can bet there'd be consequences." This riled up Tony even more, as well as the others, who were boiling with rage against Ross. Pietro, however, gave a smirk.

Thor had left to Asgard dealing with some problems, while Bruce had left to find ways to be able to meditate and regain control of Hulk, ever since the Hulk had been pacified by the 'Butterfly Man' before being able to run off from Sokovia.

"Believe me, this is the middle ground." Pietro laughs at what he considers an absurd statement. The rest of the team look at him, confused by his strange reaction.

"Really? The middle ground? Because that just sounds like 'We don't trust you to turn on us, so we want you under us.' Sokovia had been suffering while the rest of the world watched as it burned. Even when Ultron lifted part of Novi Grad from the ground to destroy the world, you people just watched as it happened." Pietro slammed his fist on the table, glaring menacingly at the slightly pale Secretary of State, who had a poker face on.

"Honestly, you politicians only care for yourselves and don't think of how it will affect the people of your own nation. If it weren't for the Avengers, the world would have ended as we know it, because of your incompetence." Tony looked smug as Pietro tore Ross to shreds along with his arguments. Steve smiled proudly at the young man's defensive arguments, while Wanda was in awe of her twin at how he stood against all odds despite the Accords and her inability to control her powers.

"When we were in Sokovia, HYDRA was taking innocents as human guinea pigs for their own vile experiments, in which my sister and I gained our powers. After the Ultron incident, we didn't know what to do, but we knew we wanted to help others. Wanda is still learning to control her powers, but it was not her fault that the bomb was detonated. That country and its military didn't have enough resources to deal with it, but Wakanda does. The U.S. and Europe do, hell even the U.N. do as well. But what did they do? **Nothing**." After the long speech, the entire room was silent and tense.

*Clap* *Clap* "Well said, Speedster." Tony got up, after hearing his speech. He had not been in favor of the Accords, but his guilt was heavy on him after seeing the innocent lives lost. But after hearing Pietro and his own story of his life in Sokovia, he felt much worse when he imagined doing nothing to stop Ultron, or the Chitauri, or even HYDRA and their experiments.

"So, we all agree to not sign this farce of the Accords?" he asked the team, who all nodded in agreement, even Rhodes, though reluctantly.

"Ross… tell you what. We'll take this version of the Accords, and we'll come up with our own. Maybe we can… come to an agreement of sorts?" Tony smirked while gloating over Ross' failure to get the Avengers under his control. The ex-general was fuming and promptly left the facility as soon as possible, never glancing at the superheroes behind him.

After he left completely out of the facility, Tony began to laugh his ass off at Ross' reaction and impromptu escape from being ripped apart.

"Oh, wow. I never knew you had it in you, Pietro. That was one awesome roasting you gave the Secretary of State, who probably had never heard of a no before in his life." Tony praised the now smug Quicksilver.

"No problem, Tony. I just felt like pointing out the flaws in his argument on how we do things to prevent further tragedy. But, doesn't this seem odd that they're now doing this after all this time?" Pietro asked the team, who were slightly torn, but gathered up their wits about.

"I do not know. But I'll be with Rhodes and Vision to work out our propositions on the Accords and how we should work now. We still need to find out who will oversee the selection of our future missions." Steve explained while Tony nodded in agreement and left with Rhodes and Vision behind him to another room.

Tony became pensive for a second trying to remember something that still bothers him about the accords.

 _"_ _You do need to be ready, but I cannot tell you when. You will know when the time is right. Trust yourself and your abilities as well as the powers of your companions. The time will be right with the coming of a_ _ **contract.**_ _Farewell."_

Realization had then dawned on him when he remembered Philemon's vague message, "Wait! I remembered!" The remaining members turned to him questioningly.

"What did you remember, Tony? A date with Pepper?" Natasha remarked with a hint of teasing in it.

"Ha, ha, very funny. No, I'm talking about the Philemon guy. He mentioned something about a **contract** in my dream, but he never specified what contract. He must have been referring to the Accords." Tony explained his memory of the dream.

"So… we're going to get this new power soon?" Wanda asked, still frightened at the prospect of gaining a new power other than her own. Pietro comforted her as best as he could by wrapping Wanda in his lean arms to melt away the fears.

"I suppose we are. But he only said that we would know when the time would be right." Tony frowned at the cryptic message.

"Well, we'll deal with that as we go on. For now, let's focus on making a draft of our accords to present to the U.N. that will be meeting in Vienna." The team all agree and head to where the Captain was working to help work out the Avenger's Sokovia Accords.

* * *

Ross was furious at the idiot of a mutant who had ruined his plan to get the Avengers in his hands and refused to speak during the journey back to the White House. He then left towards his office when they arrived and after speaking with the President, who was not happy with the results, in order to work on his secret project.

When he entered office, Ross went incognito and began hiring scientists and engineers to begin planning the construction of a secret military project called the Laser Pinpoint Firing System or the LPFS. The LPFS would be a weapon used to counter future attacks from space and on Earth, as it could target anywhere around the globe.

The LPFS consisted of four major satellites that would form the targeting system. Using improved GPS programs and military-grade instruments, the satellites could target even an ant on the ground; however, the issue was mobility of the satellites while in space. Small rocket thrusters were installed into the main guns, and three smaller satellites would be sent out to guide each major satellite into position, so a total of nine small satellites were constructed.

The space satellites would be monitored and controlled by the hidden space station, Ignotus Excalibur, where another crew of scientists and programmers were creating the programs needed to operate the system.

After the events in Sokovia, Thaddeus Ross accelerated the progress of the construction of the laser system satellites and soon had them sent to orbit the Earth in space. The creation of the program was still slow, so he began trying to hire other companies to help him work in the background on the project.

Most companies jumped in but were not capable of even creating the required programs. Stark was out of the question as the CEO was part of the Avengers team. And only one company remained that he had not approached yet.

Redlaw Nanotech Industries pride themselves on being the leading producer of nanotechnologies and programming as well. The CEO and owner, Esper Redlaw, was one who was responsible and conscious of the effects of his own technology and how it could change the world for both the better and the worse. The co-owner of the company, Pierce Collins, was a friend of Esper's and helped build the company up. The two were friendly competitors in the tech field along with Tony Stark.

Ross was planning to meet up with them later when a beeping tone was heard from his desk. Picking up the phone, he spoke up.

"This is Ross. What is it?"

"Mr. Secretary, progress report on the LPFS system. The construction is nearly complete, but the programming is only half-way done. We estimate the completion of the system to be around a year, maybe less if we had support from other companies." A crisp, subtle voice spoke from the other end.

"Well, Dr. Nocte, I'm planning to see another company and see if I can get them to help support the project. I'll give you their answer tomorrow. Have a good day." The exhausted Secretary then left the office and headed to his home to end the day.

* * *

"You too, Mr. Secretary." The man, called Dr. Nocte, was a man of many faces. One minute, he would be an excellent scientist working to create progress in mankind, to one who wishes nothing but its destruction.

Dr. Nocte was never a moral scientist, and neither was that his real identity. Serges Mint was an ex-HYDRA scientist who left the cult because of their change in ideals. HYDRA was never originally a pro-fascist group and neither did it wish for the end of humanity's freedom, but it was to bring about a revolution. The original HYDRA's goal was to bring about the return of their true leader, whose form was based on the symbol, an inhuman named 'Hive'.

But that ideal was still not right. He had searched after betraying his former and foolish colleagues and found an answer in the form of a man who resembled an ordinary man, yet he held a peculiar dark air around him that it was making his skin crawl with fear and fill him with a sense of dread.

 _He_ spoke of a creature born from the despairs and malice of humanity that wishes to grant their call for death by releasing a deity that would bring about the Fall of Humanity. However, that deity was sealed away to prevent the being to call on it; therefore, making it impossible to bring about the apocalyptic event. However, _he_ mentioned an alternative method: to create a portal to the Human Unconsciousness and summon the beast and rule the world by granting their desires.

Serges believed in the man, yet not a man. He felt power flow through his veins, granted by this being of complete mystery, and went on to accomplish this goal. When Ross hired him to complete the LPFS project, he knew he could use it to create the system perfect to summon this being of malice. He then dubbed it the NYX system, after the deity that was sealed by a simple, foolish boy who did not know better about humanity.

After the call ended, the mad scientist then turned to his assistant, Rene Osiris, who was aiding him in his goal to better humanity under a new rule, who then downloaded the LPFS programming and uploaded the NYX programming to replace it, ensuring their success.

"Soon… my Lord. Soon, you will descend upon humanity and grant their desire for death and bring about a new era, where you will rule all." The madman laughed manically and turned at another set of data with an insane smile.

"The Shadow Serum is nearly complete."


	3. Chapter 2, Part 2

**Note:**

 ** _Zeta: Part 2 is here!_**

 ** _Tony: Finally, took you long enough!_**

 ** _Zeta: Well, excuse me! It takes some good amount of effort to write this. I'm not even sure I even got the characters right._**

 ** _Philemon: Please, dear readers. Review this work and tell us what you think so far._**

 ** _Zeta: If you find some mistakes, tell me and I'll fix them. Otherwise, enjoy reading part 2 of chapter 2._**

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own these amazing works. Marvel owns the Avengers and Atlus owns the Persona Series._**

* * *

Chapter 2, Part 2

In another part of the globe, inside a disclosed location. A wine-red haired woman was sitting at a desk with three other ladies. One was a turquoise-haired woman wearing glasses and a white vest with a blue-green dress. The other two were a blonde woman with electric-blue eyes and a silver-haired woman with red eyes and both in similar clothes resembling that of a dress worn by a secretary. They were all gathered around a table with a folder in the middle.

"So… there's an increase in Shadow activity in America?" the redhead asked the women. The one wearing glasses nodded before opening the folder and pointing it out to her.

"Yes, most specifically in the state of Arizona in the area known as the Colorado Plateau. We checked with one of the satellites who sent images of the surface and from it, this is what we got." The researcher passed her the photos, displaying what appeared to be a shard of a meteor about the size of the Empire State Building, but wider. Drawn around the circle, were runic symbols of unknown origin and design.

"Hm…" The empress pondered on the satellite snapshots before handing them back to the engineer. "We have a situation in our hands now. What do we know so far, Yamaguishi?"

The young researcher, Fuuka Yamagishi, looked over her notes and calculations on her notepad that she carried with her.

"I estimate about half a year before the energy reaches a peak. We've checked around Japan and other nations and all indicate that America is secretly creating something. It won't be long before the UN conference about these Sokovia Accords, so we don't have much time." Fuuka then turned to the blonde robotic maiden, Aigis, who turned on the projector on her signal.

The projection displayed a satellite in outer space, with the words "Laser Pinpoint Firing System". The floating man-made project still had exposed parts, but they were few in number. The systems satellites resembled closely to flowers, although the metal petals were what concentrated the energy to power the laser.

Lady Kirijo, or as she is known by her closest friends, Mitsuru, maintained a poker face that rivaled even the coldest of CEO's as she inspected the photographic images from space.

"I see, so if this system activates, then the logical conclusion is that the energy would activate the stone." Mitsuru murmured.

"Yet the main question is what the purpose of the large stone is?"

"I'm afraid that I do not know, Mitsuru."

"The analysis of the stone is underway, but another alarming trouble popped up while we were doing the research. Energy signals similar to Shadows and Personas have been detected in the location where the UN meeting is to take place." Aigis added in, displaying another screen of data.

The small group of analysts took note of the similarities of the three energy spectrums before assembling a plan.

"Alright, I'll contact Detective Shirogane and Akihiko to go to the UN meeting myself with Labrys. Yamaguishi, contact the detective and reporter that we met a few weeks ago. We might need them for later. The rest are on standby. Dismissed." The Kirijo 'Ice Queen' left the room, with the others acknowledging their orders and beginning the task of clearing the room.

Mitsuru headed to another room, where scientists were scrambling to analyze and collect data from the computer screens and holographic projectors.

What really caught her attention was the holographic image of a titan-sized golden ornate door being held shut by a statue. Yet the shape of the stone seal was that of a teenage boy, not even older than fifteen or sixteen years of age.

"What are we dealing with now, Makoto?"

* * *

It was close to midnight by the time Tony, Steve, and the others managed to form their own draft. They had all agreed to refine the details tomorrow and headed back to their rooms to get some shut-eye.

Tony was laying alone once more in his own bed. Pepper had left to handle some business in Texas regarding some arrangements to have another Stark Industries building built in one of the metropolitan areas. She also mentioned something about a Japanese company meeting with her later in the week.

"Long day ahead of us now" Tony sighed as he wrapped himself beneath the covers and started to snooze into dreamland.

…

Tony was once more welcomed by the sight of Philemon's shrine and the being himself, whose mask prevented Tony from trying to find something to use to find out more about the Master of Persona.

"Welcome again, Tony." He greeted the billionaire.

Tony waved off the greeting, "Yeah, yeah, spill the beans. Why am I here now again?"

Philemon gave him a nod, "As you have remembered, the contract I spoke of was the Accords. With the upcoming time, events that have been hidden away from the eyes of the universe will resurface once more."

This puzzled the philanthropist further, "Wait. Events that were hidden away? "

"Indeed, and as you continue, a number of paths will open to you and your companions. Through each one, you will witness the trials of the people you meet as well as confront your own troubles. But remember that whatever path you choose, the choice was yours and no one else's."

Tony nodded with a face of resolve, "So, mind explaining what events you are referring to?"

"I will tell you what I can tell you at most. The events occurred the same year you were held imprisoned."

Tony felt the hairs of his skin prick up at the reference of his kidnapping and became tense.

"As you were being held, an evil arose to answer the call from humanity by granting their wish. I'm afraid that I can tell you no more, as our time is up."

Tony was calling out to Philemon, "Wait!" But the shrine faded into darkness before he woke up back in the comfort of his bed.

* * *

"I will not cooperate with you, Mr. Secretary Ross."

Esper Redlaw was not having the time of his life. The minute he arrived, his secretary informed him of his meeting with the Secretary of State, Thaddeus Ross, who was worth a large migraine with his view on mutants and enhanced humans.

"I assure you, Mr. Redlaw that this will help protect the nation from superhuman threats as well as other alien threats. All you need to do is provide us the technology and you would not be involved." The ex-general tried to convince the CEO and owner of Redlaw Nanotech.

"And I assure you I have negotiated with other ambitious military officers before then, Mr. Secretary." Esper spoke up again.

Ross was growing frustrated at his stubbornness until Pierce Collins walked in.

"I believe that I can help with that project of yours, Mr. Secretary." He said as he took a seat across from Redlaw.

"What!? Pierce, you can't decide that all of a sudden! We share the ownership!"

"I'm afraid that I'm no longer part of Redlaw Nanotech anymore, Mr. Redlaw." Pierce hands over a manila folder, which Redlaw reads with a grimace.

"Very well, Mr. Collins. Consider yourself unwelcome from my company and any other companies owned by Redlaw Nanotech will not associate themselves with Ares Military Industries. Good day gentlemen." Redlaw left the ex-general and his friend, who had betrayed him and ripped away whatever trust he had in people to shreds.

…

As soon as Esper arrived at his modest, private home, hidden from the eyes of the public, he quickly left to his room and got undressed, the clothes falling of his muscular, lean body. The nude man entered the shower quickly with the freezing water running down his body. In the duration of his shower, he let his own thoughts run wild.

 _"_ _I trusted Pierce to refuse… yet he threw away our friendship and destroyed my trust in him.'_

Esper growled _, 'He knew the military would try to contact us to get us to work for them. But why?'_

Esper sighed and shook his head. Being angry and volatile would not do him any good. He would contact his brothers-in-arms Aquila and Gladiolus to see what they have to say on this. The four were good friends, but in business, he trusted Pierce to know what's best for the company.

He dressed up in his sleepwear and got onto the bed and laid down in the dark.

 _'_ _So much for trust. Well, I'll have to manage on my own. I have a meeting with Stark Industries after the UN meeting in Vienna since I'm apparently an influential figure. Stupid politicians… always greedy for power and influence.'_

His rest was filled with turmoil for the night.

* * *

Pierce's cold, steel grey eyes observed the ex-general rant about how he was among the very few people who understand the importance of supporting the nation blah, blah, blah.

Honestly, the Secretary of State could shove it with his project. Pierce had better plans on how to use the project.

"So… you convinced him that you would be working with him in full capacity?"

Pierce rolled his eyes at his mysterious caller, "I just said that, didn't I? Now that you've made me destroy the trust I had with my friend, what now from here?"

"I believe you had said that your friend was a nobody who doesn't know how to even run his own company, didn't you?" the caller retorted sharply.

The traitor growled at his reminder of how badly he had talked about Esper.

"The plans are set on your end, I suppose? If they were not, I doubt you would be spouting those remarks of yours now."

This caught the caller off guard, with silence as his answer.

"Anyways, I'll be sending in some people up there to work under you. Take good care of them now." Pierce hung the phone up before getting up and looking at himself in a small mirror he hung up in his office. The mirror reflected the dark circles under his eyes that were hidden by the glare from his glasses. He still knew Esper noticed them, as he knew his once brother in all but blood had a knack for seeing details others would not catch.

"I'm sorry, Esper."

* * *

Weeks passed and after the arduous work, the Avengers had finally completed the final draft for the document entitled "Hero's Allegiance & Protections". The document was then signed by all of the team before being scanned by FRIDAY and sealed with several passwords and protected with the modern firewalls from Drake Computer Tech and Redlaw Nanotech.

"So, Capsicle, all done now?" Steve rolled his eyes at Tony's ridiculous nicknames.

"Yes, Tony, we're good from this end. With the safety net made as well as covering all possible loopholes, we should be fine. The only thing we need is having someone be the director of the team to direct all of our missions."

"Then let's put Pepper. She'll-"

"Tony…" the captain's voice cut through, "Pepper can't be in charge of the team. She already has the Stark Industries CEO position to handle. We need to find someone, but I made sure that we're given at least a year to find someone. It can be an individual or an organization, so relax."

The genius inventor didn't like the idea of waiting, but he at least placed some trust in the team. "Alright then. We only have a week to be ready."

Steve nodded, "We'll be ready for anything. If what Philemon said is true, then something's going to happen at the conference."

"I suppose." Tony suddenly went quiet for a moment, causing the first Avenger to worry.

"Everything all right?"

The billionaire chuckled lowly, "No… Yes… I mean… I don't know anymore." He then served himself a shot from the nearest bottle of whiskey he could find.

"Pepper and I broke up, and I just remembered that as well." He massaged his head at a steady rhythm. "So much has happened and… our relationship really didn't work out."

Steve did not react, merely sat there listening patiently at the man who had broken up with the woman he loved.

"She didn't agree on me being an Avenger and as Iron Man, and if I didn't quit the superhero business, then she would break up with me. And she did."

Tony couldn't believe he opened up to the one guy he least expected to open up to. Clint was closer, having seen slightly beyond his mask, and second closest was Bruce. Now, the cap had gotten a glimpse of himself, beyond the billionaire persona.

"So… what do you plan now?"

Tony relaxed on the leather couch he was sitting on, while the soldier pulled out his sketchbook and began drawing on a chair near the window.

"Nothing but keep on going with my life. It was painful for a while, but I got over it."

Steve felt uncertainty in the genius' words.

* * *

 **Note:**

 _ **Zeta: One more thing. Give me some ideas on what Personas should our merry band of superheroes get.**_

 _ **Tony: It better be a good one.**_

 _ **Zeta: I do have a list, but I want some second opinions. However, the Personas will interact quite differently from the rest, depending on the hero's powers.**_

 _ **Tony: So...?**_

 ** _Zeta: For you, it will be normal. For someone such as Wanda, it will interact differently. Anyways, stay tuned for Chapter 3!_**


	4. Not a Chapter! Notice!

**_Author Note: 8/28/18_**

 **Zeta: Please note that this is not a new chapter, just some updates. The story is NOT dead, so do not worry. I do not intend to abandon or give up on this project for some random reason.**

 **Now, since I've began attending college, my time is now under constraints. Not to mention that I'm in the college band, so even more so.**

 **Now, the good news is that I've been working on the story, making corrections, adding stuff, and doing research on the characters and story elements. I'll be adding these details on my spare time.**

 **?: Get on with the good stuff!**

 **Zeta: Alright, alright, just give me a minute. So, I just got an idea for another story. (Well, more like 40 or so ideas)**

 **But anyways, I'll give a hint on it later on! Also, make sure to review! While I may not write or update as frequently, reviews are helpful for me to figure out some details to fix.**

 **Thank you for reading!**


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